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Conan
Conan the Barbarian (also known as Conan the Cimmerian, from the name of his homeland, Cimmeria) is a literary character created by Robert E. Howard in a series of fantasy pulp stories published in Weird Tales in the 1930s. Setting The Conan stories take place on Earth, but in the mythical (created by Howard) "Hyborian Age," between the time of the sinking of Atlantis and the rise of the known ancient civilizations. According to Howard himself (in The Phoenix on the Sword): "...between the years when the oceans drank Atlantis and the gleaming cities, and the years of the rise of the Sons of Aryas..." Characteristics Conan is a Cimmerian (not to be confused with the historical Cimmerians), a barbarian of the far north; he was born on a battlefield and is the son of a blacksmith. He grew up fast: by age fifteen he was already a respected warrior, participating in the destruction of the Aquilonian outpost of Venarium. After this he was struck by wanderlust and began the colorful and exciting adventures chronicled by Howard (and subsequently, after Howard's death, by others), encountering fabulous monsters, evil wizards, and beautiful wenches and princesses - he has travelled throughout the world and been a thief and outlaw, a mercenary and commander of a mercenary company, and a pirate. He begins building larger units of men, aiming for greater territorial ambitions, though his efforts are repeatedly thwarted - usually by the total massacre of his force excepting himself. But in his forties he finally succeeds, becoming king of Aquilonia, the most powerful kingdom of the age, having strangled the previous ruler on the steps of the throne. Although Conan's adventures often result in him performing heroic feats, his motive is more than often his own survival, enrichment or rise to power and he thus displays many of the characteristics of an anti-hero. Appearance Conan has "sullen blue eyes," long black hair, stands at least 2 m (6 ft 6 in) and weighs over 90 kg (200 lb) though this is a later extrapolation and Howard never gives dimensions for either. In the tales no human is ever described as stronger than Conan, although several are mentioned as taller (such as the strangler Baal-pteor) or of larger bulk. Although Conan is muscular, Howard frequently compares his agility and way of moving to that of a panther (see for instance Jewels of Gwahlur, Beyond the Black River or Rogues in the House). His skin is frequently characterised as bronzed from constant exposure to the sun and his garb is most commonly a loincloth, sandals and a sword of some description, depending on his fortunes and location. In his younger years, he is often depicted wearing a light chain shirt and a horned helmet, though appearances vary with different artists. During his reign as King of Aquilonia, Conan was "... a tall man, mightily shouldered and deep of chest, with a massive corded neck and heavily muscled limbs. He was clad in silk and velvet, with the royal lions of Aquilonia worked in gold upon his rich jupon, and the crown of Aquilonia shone on his square-cut black mane; but the great sword at his side seemed more natural to him than the regal accouterments. His brow was low and broad, his eyes a volcanic blue that smoldered as if with some inner fire. His dark, scarred, almost sinister face was that of a fighting-man, and his velvet garments could not conceal the hard, dangerous lines of his limbs." (The Hour of the Dragon which can be found in the anthology The Bloody Crown of Conan, pg. 89-90). He loses none of his vigour with age with the above description coming when he is in his mid 40's. Though several later authors have referred to Conan as "Germanic-looking," Howard imagined the Cimmerians as a proto-Celtic people with mostly dark hair and blue or grey eyes. Racially the Cimmerians to which Conan belongs are descendants of the Atlanteans, though they do not remember their ancestry. In his pseudo-historical essay "The Hyborian age", Howard describes how the people of Atlantis (the land where his character King Kull originated) had to move east after a great cataclysm changed the face of the world and sank their island, settling where northern Scotland and Norway would eventually be located. In the same work, Howard also described how the Cimmerians eventually moved south and east after the age of Conan (presumably in the vicinity of the Black Sea, where the historical Cimmerians dwelt). Abilities and Characteristics Despite his brutish appearance, Conan uses his brain as well as his brawn. The Cimmerian is a talented fighter, but due to his travels abroad, he also has vast experience in other trades, especially the thiefly one; he is also a talented commander, tactician and strategist, as well as a born leader. In addition, Conan speaks many languages, including advanced reading and writing abilities: in certain stories, he's able to recognize, or even decipher, certain ancient or secret signs and writings (like when he uses the sign of Jhebbal Sag in Beyond the Black River) (but noticeably, he apparently is never shown by Howard reading Stygian, though he can speak it), and his very first appearance (in The Phoenix on the Sword) shows him busy writing. Another noticeable trait is his sense of humour, largely absent in the comics and movies, but very much a part of Howard's original vision of the character, particularly apparent in Xuthal of the Dusk a.k.a. The Slithering Shadow. He is a loyal friend to those true to him with a barbaric code of honour and chivalry that often marks him as more civilized than those more sophisticated people he meets in his travels. Indeed his straighforward nature and barbarism are constants in all the tales. One fact that is often emphasized is that Conan is very difficult to defeat in hand-to-hand combat. Conan needs only to have his back to the wall so that he cannot be surrounded, and then is capable of engaging and killing opponents by the score. This is seen in several stories, such as Queen of the Black Coast, "The Scarlet Citadel" and A Witch Shall be Born. Conan is not superhuman, though: he did need the providential help of Zelata's wolf to defeat four Nemedian soldiers in the story "The Hour of the Dragon". Some of his hardest victories have come from fighting single opponents, but ones of inhuman strength: one such as Thak, the ape man from Rogues in the House, or the strangler Baal-Pteor in Shadows in Zamboula. Conan is far from untouchable and has been captured several times (knocking himself out running into a wall drunk after being betrayed, although he still slays the people initally sent to arrest him, a fall from a wounded horse) but never as a result of martial failings. Influences Howard corresponded with H. P. Lovecraft, though it is extremely unlikely that they ever met, and the two would sometimes insert references to elements of each others' settings in their works; the Conan stories thus could be said to have originally occurred in the Cthulhu Mythos universe. Modern editors have since reworked many of the original Conan stories, however, diluting this connection. The Conan stories are informed by the popular interest of the time in ideas on evolution and social Darwinism. Are some peoples destined to rule over others? Are our physical and mental characteristics the result of our experiences or our inheritance from our ancestors? Is human civilization a natural or unnatural development? As Conan remarks in one story: ::Civilized men are more discourteous than savages because they know they can be impolite without having their skulls split, as a general thing. (Howard, The Tower of the Elephant, Weird Tales, March 1933) Additionally, some fans such as comic book artist Mark Schultz have concluded that Conan was an idealized alter ego for Howard. Unlike the modern, stereotypical view of a brainless barbarian (mainly from his appearances in movies and comics), Howard originally created Conan as a thoughtful but melancholic figure who often battled with depression, much like Howard himself (the writer eventually committed suicide). However, Howard's Conan is unaffected by such feelings: ::Let teachers and priests and philosophers brood over questions of reality and illusion. I know this: if life is an illusion, then I am no less an illusion, and being thus, the illusion is real to me. I live, I burn with life, I love, I slay, and I am content. (Howard, Queen of the Black Coast, Weird Tales, May 1934). Characters The following characters have prominent or recurring roles in the Conan series. * Bêlit, self-styled queen of the Black Coast and captain of the pirate ship "Tigress". ("Queen of the Black Coast"). * Prince Conan II, called Conn, firstborn son of King Conan of Aquilonia by his wife Zenobia. (Conn is a creation of L. Sprague de Camp and Lin Carter. "Witch of the mists", "Black sphinx of Nebthu", "Red moon of Zembabwei", "Shadows in the skull", "Conan of the isles" as well as the "Conan the king" comic-books). * Fafnir Demonhand (comics only) * Red Sonja, a Hyrkanian warrior. Red Son'j'''a is a character from the Conan comics, and was created by Roy Thomas and Barry Windsor-Smith. She was inspired by a R. E. Howard character, '''Red Sonya of Rogatino' who appeared in the historical story "The shadow of the vulture", set in the XVIth century. * Thoth-Amon of the ring, a Stygian wizard of great power and influence. He appeared in the very first Conan story written ( The Phoenix on the Sword ) and was mentioned in The God in the Bowl and The Hour of the Dragon ). L. Sprague de Camp and Lin Carter, in their pastiche stories, made Thoth-Amon the most prominent adversary of Conan ("the treasure of Tranicos", "Conan the buccaneer", "Witch of the mists", "Black sphinx of Nebthu", "Red moon of Zembabwei", "Shadows in the skull"). In the Marvel comic-book series, Thoth-Amon was also Conan's life-long opponent. He had a striking appearance designed by Barry Windsor-Smith, with a ram-horn ornemental headdress. In the Dark Horse comic-book series, Thoth-Amon is also an important character, but with a more traditional Stygian (Egyptian-looking) appearance. * Thulsa Doom ( Originally, he was a wizard, described as a necromancer in the King Kull story Delcardes' Cat ). He was a recurring character in the Kull comic-books. John Milius used a similarly-named character as the villain in the first Conan movie. He appears as a skull-faced sorcerer with awesome powers. * Valeria of the Red Brotherhood, a female pirate ( Red nails ). * Princess Yasmela of Khoraja. She made Conan commander of her country's armies to repel the invasion of a desert horde. (Black Colossus). * Yasmina, queen (or "devi") of Vendhya. She tried to coerce Conan, then a hill-chieftain, to destroy the Black Seers of Yimsha. Brave and determined, she gained Conan's respect and gruff affection. (The People of the Black Circle). * King Yezdigerd of Turan (The People of the Black Circle , The Devil in Iron , "Conan the avenger"). Yezdigerd was also prominent in the Conan comics, in which he bears a scar given him by Conan. * Zenobia, whom Conan married and made his queen after she helped him escape the dungeons of king Tarascus of Nemedia (The Hour of the Dragon) * Zephra (comics only) Trivia * On the subject of Howard and Conan, L. Sprague de Camp states the following in his book ''Literary Swordsmen and Sorcerers: The Makers of Heroic Fantasy concerning an interview with J. R. R. Tolkien : "We sat in the garage for a couple of hours, smoking pipes, drinking beer, and talking about a variety of things. Practically anything in English literature, from Beowulf down, Tolkien had read and could talk intelligently about. He indicated that he 'rather liked' Howard's Conan stories." Quotes Quotes from Howard's original Conan stories * Arus saw a tall powerfully built youth, naked but for a loin-cloth, and sandals strapped high about his ankles. His skin was burned brown as by the suns of the wastelands and Arus glanced nervously at his broad shoulders, massive chest and heavy arms, A single look at the moody, broad-browed features told the watchman the man was no Nemedian. From under a mop of unruly black hair smoldered a pair of dangerous blue eyes. A long sword hung in a leather scabbard at his girdle. (The God in the Bowl) * "You cannot escape me!" he roared. "Lead me into a trap and I'll pile the heads of your kinsmen at your feet! Hide from me and I'll tear apart the mountains to find you! I'll follow you to hell!" (The Frost Giant's Daughter) * Then suddenly the borealis, the snow-clad hills and the blazing heavens reeled drunkenly to Conan's sight; thousands of fire-balls burst with showers of sparks, and the sky itself became a titanic wheel which rained stars as it spun. Under his feet the snowy hills heaved up like a wave, and the Cimmerian crumpled into the snows to lie motionless. (The Frost Giant's Daughter) * Conan stood paralyzed in the disruption of the faculties which demoralizes anyone who is confronted by an impossible negation of sanity. (The Devil in Iron) * Conan did not hesitate, nor did he even glance toward the chest that held the wealth of an epoch. With a quickness that would have shamed the spring of a hungry jaguar, he swooped, grasped the girl's arm just as her fingers slipped from the smooth stone, and snatched her up on the span with one explosive heave. (Jewels of Gwahlur) * "Keep back!" ordered Shah Amurath, watching him narrowly. "Ha!" It was like the bark of a timber wolf. "Shah Amurath, the great Lord of Akif! Oh, damn you, how I love the sight of you -- you, who fed my comrades to the vultures, who tore them between wild horses, blinded and maimed and mutilated them -- Ai, you dog, you filthy dog!" His voice rose to a maddened scream, and he charged. (Iron Shadows in the Moon) * "...Free my hands and I'll varnish this floor with your brains!" (The Scarlet Citadel) * "Crom!" his mighty shoulders twitched. "A murrain of these wizardly feuds! Pelias has dealt well with me, but I care not if I see him no more. Give me a clean sword and a clean foe to flesh it in. Damnation! What would I not give for a flagon of wine!" (The Scarlet Citadel) * "Civilized men are more discourteous than savages because they know they can be impolite without having their skulls split, as a general thing." (The Tower of the Elephant) * "Did you deem yourself strong, because you were able to twist the heads off civilized folk, poor weaklings with muscles like rotten string? Hell! Break the neck of a wild Cimmerian bull before you call yourself strong. I did that, before I was a full-grown man...!" (Shadows in Zamboula) * "... you speak of Venarium familiarly. Perhaps you were there?" - "I was," grunted Conan. "I was one of the horde that swarmed over the hills. I hadn't yet seen fifteen snows, but already my name was repeated about the council fires." (Beyond the Black River) * "He grunted with satisfaction. The feel of the hilt cheered him and gave him a glow of confidence. Whatever webs of conspiracy were drawn about him, whatever trickery and treachery ensnared him, this knife was real. The great muscles of his right arm swelled in anticipation of murderous blows." (The Hour of the Dragon) ''Conan the Barbarian'' movie quotes * Mongol General: "What is best in life?" Conan: "To crush your enemies, to see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentations of their women." (Note that this is actually a quote from Ghengis Khan) * Conan: "Crom, I have never prayed to you before. I have no tongue for it. No one, not even you will remember, if we were good men, or bad. Why we fought, or how we died. No, all that matters is, that two stood against many. That's what's important. Valour pleases you Crom, so grant me one request, grant me revenge! And if you do not listen, then the hell with you!" * Conan, to Subotai: "Crom laughs at your four winds." *King Osric: "There comes a time, thief, when the jewels cease to sparkle, when the gold loses its luster, when the throne room becomes a prison, and all that is left is a father's love for his child." *Valeria: "To the hell fires with Thulsa Doom. He's evil; a sorcerer who can summon demons. His followers' only purpose is to die in his service. Thousands of them." *Valeria: "All my life I've been alone. Many times I've faced death with no one to know. I would look into the huts and the tents of others in the coldest dark and I would see figures holding each other in the night. But I always passed by." *The Wizard: "Between the time when the oceans drank Atlantis, and the rise of the sons of Aryas, there was an age undreamed of. And onto this, Conan, destined to wear the jeweled crown of Aquilonia upon a troubled brow. It is I, his chronicler, who alone can tell thee of his saga. Let me tell you of the days of high adventure!" *Thulsa Doom: "Infidel defilers. They shall all drown in lakes of blood." *Thulsa Doom: "My child, you have come to me my son. For who now is your father if it is not me? I am the well spring, from which you flow. When I am gone, you will have never been. What would your world be, without me? My son." *Conan's Father: "For no one - no one in this world can you trust. Not men, not women, not beasts. This you can trust." to [[sword]] *Thulsa Doom: "Yes! You know what it is don't you boy. Shall I tell you? It's the least I can do. Steel isn't strong boy, flesh is stronger! Look around you. There, on the rocks; that beautiful girl. Come to me my child... leaps to her death That is strength boy! That is power! What is steel compared to the hand that wields it? Look at the strength in your body, the desire in your heart, I gave you this! Such a waste. Contemplate this on the tree of woe. Crucify him!" *Valeria: "Do you want to live forever?" (Note that this is actually a quote from Frederick the Great) *Thulsa Doom: "Now they will know why they are afraid of the dark. Now they learn why they fear the night." *Thulsa Doom: "I wish to speak to you now. Where is the Eye of the Serpent? Rexor said that you gave it to a girl; probably for a mere night's pleasure. Such a loss. People have no grasp of what they do." *Subotai: "He is Conan, Cimmerian, he won't cry, so I cry for him." *Black Lotus Street Peddler: "Two or three years ago it was just another snake cult." *The Wizard: "I'm a wizard, mind you. This place is kept by powerful gods and spirits of kings. Harm my flesh and you will have to deal with the dead!" *Valeria: "All the gods, they cannot sever us. If I were dead and you were still fighting for life, I'd come back from the darkness. Back from the pit of hell to fight at your side." *Conan: "For us, there is no spring. Just the wind that smells fresh before the storm." External links *A Complete Conan Bibliography compiled by Bruce L. Precourt, January 1998 *Conan official website *Conan the Barbarian at AmratheLion.com *Hyborian Age of Conan the Barbarian *Stories of Robert Howard on Wikisource *Hour of the Dragon Robert Howard's full length Conan novel, considered by many to be his best work *Conan d20 fan site *Maps of the Hyborian Age * *TSR Conan Role-Playing Game *Conan Adventure modules from TSR *Conan RPG by Mongoose Publishing *Conan the Barbarian Message Board at the Second-String Sanctuary